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Parents better ask questions (10/19/12)

Editor:

When I protested Gov. Tom Corbett's appearance at Albright College's graduation last year, it was not just his cozy relationship with the natural gas industry I was objecting to. I also was protesting his callous remark made after slashing state university budgets.

Within weeks of announcing the cuts, he told the Pennsylvania Association of Councils of Trustees at an event at Edinboro University that they could try drilling on State System of Higher Education campuses to address revenue shortfalls.

Corbett signed the Indigenous Mineral Resource Development Act into law. The law allows for the removal of coal, oil, natural gas, coal bed methane, limestone and mineral resources from state university campuses.

Not only is there potential for the schools to make the money they need to provide their students with an education, but they can also save money by replacing bonfires during football season with celebratory gatherings around flaming tap water.

Forget that from 2008 through 2011, the natural gas industry was cited with nearly 2,400 violations that threatened the environment and public safety, according to the Penn Environmental Report.

Parents better ask questions the next time they see heavy equipment near their children's dorms.